Eremalche parryi
Encyclopedia
Eremalche parryi is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family
known by the common name Parry's mallow. It is endemic to California
, where it grows in several types of habitat from the inner San Francisco Bay Area
to the Transverse Ranges
. This is an annual herb growing erect to half a meter in maximum height. The leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and divided into several tooth-tipped lobes. The flowers are located in leaf axils and sometimes at the stem tips. The flower varies in size, the petals half a centimeter to 2.5 centimeters long. They are white to light purple or pink.
around the tiny community of McKittrick
. This subspecies has an uncertain taxonomy
. It is sometimes treated as a species of its own, Eremalche kernensis, especially by local botanists, or the plants may be considered members of a spectrum, the Kern/Parry's mallow complex, without further formal definition. Whatever its designation, Kern mallow is still a federally listed endangered species
. Threats to the Kern mallow's survival include the construction of and impacts to the watershed
from the California Aqueduct
and grazing, pesticide use, and land conversion in the heavily agricultural San Joaquin Valley
region where it grows.
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
known by the common name Parry's mallow. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in several types of habitat from the inner San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
to the Transverse Ranges
Transverse Ranges
The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
. This is an annual herb growing erect to half a meter in maximum height. The leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and divided into several tooth-tipped lobes. The flowers are located in leaf axils and sometimes at the stem tips. The flower varies in size, the petals half a centimeter to 2.5 centimeters long. They are white to light purple or pink.
Subspecies
There are two generally accepted subspecies. One, ssp. kernensis, the Kern mallow, is a rare plant known only from western Kern County, CaliforniaKern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
around the tiny community of McKittrick
McKittrick, California
McKittrick is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. McKittrick is located northwest of Taft, at an elevation of 1056 feet . The population was 115 at the 2010 census, down from 160 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. This subspecies has an uncertain taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
. It is sometimes treated as a species of its own, Eremalche kernensis, especially by local botanists, or the plants may be considered members of a spectrum, the Kern/Parry's mallow complex, without further formal definition. Whatever its designation, Kern mallow is still a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. Threats to the Kern mallow's survival include the construction of and impacts to the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
from the California Aqueduct
California Aqueduct
The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern- and Central California to Southern California. The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the...
and grazing, pesticide use, and land conversion in the heavily agricultural San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
region where it grows.